MSR Holler

Fantastic tent for a 4-season camper not climbing to the peak of a snowy mountain.

After much searching for the right combination in a 3P tent that can do almost everything a backpacking tent could be, the search can be declared to be over. The MSR Holler is a fantastic combination of high quality, lightweight materials, a very sturdy design for a 3-season (better than the Nemo Losi Storm we had prior to this that was supposed to be a 4-season), a simple setup, and a pretty well thought out organization/design.

As soon as the tent is up, you can see the near vertical walls stretching the tent to its maximum volume and creating a fantastic sleeping space that is more than adequate for the gf, myself, and the dog.

Rather than folding up in thirds, this tent folds into fourths that happen to be the same width as the poles when broken down. In the wind, it is much easier to fold a tent in half twice than perfectly aligned thirds. A fantastic thought by designers.

The fit and installation of the fly is through buckles, which is a great alternative to having to somehow organize three hoops from the tent, footprint, then fly onto each pole of other tents I have owned/used. Definitely preferable.

Why 4 stars you say? To properly get everything to its ideal position requires all 6 stakes on the tent to be in use. On rocky/sandy/possibly snowy ground, this presents an extra challenge to get right and in all three of these conditions, the tent's integrity is most paramount (exposed/windy/snow load).

The other reduction in the points is due to those vertical doors. It makes getting out of the tent much more difficult than other tents as you basically have to crawl completely out of the tent in order to stand up.

This review is after a four-night rafting trip and several one-night trips in spring/summer weather with no testing done in rain, wind, or snow yet. I do feel that this tent is as sturdy as two 4-season tents I have used in that weather and I will feel confident in taking it on my snow trips this winter.

This is a light tent, that can be put up in a flash. The vestibule unfortunately opens to above the tent body, allowing any dew or condensation on the outside of the fly to drip into the tent.

This is a solid tent, when setup correctly, it is very stable in most conditions. The Sil Nylon floor needs to be accomodated in rougher terrain, and should be paired with the optional footprint. I have not experienced any issues with condensation, as the tent seems to have pretty good ventilation. I'm 5'11", and can comfortably sit up in the tent.

My only issue with the tent is how the vestibule opens to above the tent body, allowing any water on the fly to drip onto the body of the tent.